When a traveler is enroute/in-flight to a connection point when he learns that the connecting flight has been cancelled due to a government-issued order, what is the airline’s obligation to the traveler? Will the airline provide hotel and meal vouchers until either the ban is lifted and the trip continues? Is the airline obliged to fly the traveler back home?

Let’s use the recent ban on flying to Israel as our example and say that the traveler was going from Dulles to Tel Aviv with a connection in Frankfurt. While the traveler was on the Dulles to Frankfurt flight the ban on flights to Israel was announced. So, the traveler arrives in Frankfurt to find that the connecting flight to Tel Aviv has been cancelled, along with all other flights to Tel Aviv. What is he to do? His options are to turn around and go home, wait in Frankfurt in hopes the ban will be lifted, or change plans and go somewhere else instead. Because the flight was canceled through no fault of its own, the airline is not obligated to assist the traveler. However, airlines recognize that the current – and hopefully future – customer is in limbo and most will assist to some degree. If the traveler want to turn around and fly home the airline will usually allow the unused portion of the ticket to be changed without penalty, though it’s possible a seat might not be available for a day or two. If the traveler has the flexibility to go somewhere else instead the airline will usually allow the unused portion of the ticket to be changed without penalty, though any additional cost will be born by the traveler. If the traveler wants to stick around Frankfurt for a day or two in hopes of then being able to continue on he can certainly do so, however, it would most likely be at his own expense.